No stranger to online multiplayer, and the longevity it provides for a AAA game in today’s landscape, Bungie is hard at work on ensuring that balance is a key definition of their upcoming, all-in shooter, Destiny.

Destiny is aiming to do what few have been able to pull off in a durable fashion; a social and competitive shooter that encourages player to work together, or go it alone, at their own pace, on console. While this aspiration may have been the aim of titles like Defiance and Borderlands, some fell short, and some rose to the occasion.

Those lucky enough to partake in June’s Alpha on PlayStation 4 were the first to get a public glimpse of how many of the game systems operate, including public events, strikes, and competitive multiplayer in The Crucible. Bungie has purposely and methodically crafted The Crucible’s competitive aspect to be a finely tuned machine, offering a set number of players and modes.

“The largest team size is 6v6 and that’s an intentional design decision,” said Destiny’s Character, Cinematic, and Technical Art Lead Tom Sanocki, “We decided to do that because that is the best way [we can demonstrate] the style of competitive multiplayer [we want]. This way everyone has a role and feels they can contribute.”

The alpha was also more true to the phrase than most as of late, in that Bungie plans to wholly iterate on decisions made prior to, as well as following. Sanocki stated, “For the rest of the game, the exact amount of players [that we will allow] in the public spaces is something we are still trying to figure out.”

As was also hinted that things such as voice over and other tweaks might be made leading up to the beta and certainly up to final release. Bungie reiterates that at this state, Destiny is still not a finished product. Sanocki said of the lead up to release.

“We’re still tuning that as we finish off the game and find that optimal balance. The idea is you’ll find something that feels live, vibrant and interesting. You won’t feel alone.”

Bungie looks to reveal more of Destiny starting with the Beta for those that Preordered or have attained their Beta access in other fashions beginning first on PlayStation 3 & 4 on July 17th, with Xbox One and Xbox 360 to follow “shortly after.”

Destiny will be released on September 9, 2014 on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Playstation 4 consoles.

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Joe's passion for the community of gaming began at a very early age. He enjoys breaking down games and understanding the developer intent, as well as just talking about games. He welcomes open discussion about individual games, the community, and the industry at large. Joe has varied interests in genres and styles of games, as well as interests in craft brewing, sports, and performance vehicles.